Tile structure.



F. THOMAS.

TILE STRUCTURE.

APPLIOATION FILED r111s.19, 1912. RENEWBD JAN. zz, 1914.

1,106,168 Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. *i

,FERDINAND THOMAS, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y,

TILE STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

Application tiled February 19, 1912, Serial No. 678,461. Renewed January 22, 1914. Serial No. 813,770.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of the Bronx, in the county and Stateof New York, have invented a new and Improved `Tile Structure, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to provide efficient, economical and simple means for retaining ceramic and other tile in service position; to avoid the use of cement or other plastic material; and to form a backing or register for tile of the character mentioned to permit the removal of the tile from service position.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters'of refer- 'ence indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of=the sidelwallof a standing` structure showing thesame as having applied thereto a retaining backing constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention, and tile as applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a detail view on an enlargedscaleshowing in cross section a furring. strip, a retainer backing, and tile applied thereto, all constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 3 is a cross section showing a tile and retainer backing therefor for the finishing course of a tile-laid surface; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a tile construction and arranged in accodance with the present invention; Fig. is a detail view of fragments of strips of the herein-described backing, the same being illustrated in separated relation; and Fig. 6 is a view of the back of4 a tile used to form the finishing course of a tile-laid surface.

As seen in the accompanying drawings,

'tiles 10, when constructed 1n conformity with the present invention have provided a centrally disposed channe llropening to the back of the tile. The sides of the said channel over-hang, the preferred shape being, as shown inthev drawings, what Wis known as a dove-tailedchannel. Theouter edges of the tile parallel with the channel 11 are formed to provide the -over-hanging edges 12, which, together with the projected y edges 13, 13, form a'Vshaped groove at the edge of each tile. The V-shaped groove from suitable sheet metal, 'and are fastened to the standing structure and to the furring strips 16 thereof by means of nails 17, or other suitable fastening devices. The plates 14 may be disposed on the furring strips in any desired manner, that is to say, the ribs 15 may be extended horizontally, vertically or obliquely. In whatever manner the ribs 15 do extend, the tiles 10 are mounted thereon by slipping the tiles thereover, with the ribs disposed within the channels 11 and the V-s aped grooves formed by the over-hangs 12 and edges 13. This arrangement is seen best in Figs. 1 and 2 of draw.' ings.

The tiles 10 are successively mounted on the ribs 15. IWhen' the .side wal1,.floor or ceiling which is being lconstructed. i ap, preaches the linishin course,- it' Will'be'unr derstood that the main body of the sheath ing plates 14 must be arrested or the ribs 15 thereof must terminate so yas to, provide an entrance space for the tile 10 to thread Within the channels 11 thereof, the ribs 15. When the last but one course of the tiles 10v has been laid, the finishing strip 18 is nailed or otherwise secured to the furring strip 16,

with the rib 15 formed thereon extending perpendicularly to the ribs 15 on the plates 14. The finishing tiles 19, as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings, are now introduced into the lates by belng threaded upon the rib 15 oi) the strip 18, is moved along the strip 18 until formin a joint with the supporting edge of the t1le laid' structure. All succeedingtiles are entered upon the strip 18 until the last. It will be understood that the structure cornpels the formation of a s ace at one end of i" the strip'18 where the ri `l15 is reduced so'4 that the tiles 19 may eachbe adjusted 1n line with the rib l5 to be ymoved thereover The first of the tiles 19 Y.

to provide the finishing course of the tiles.

It now becomes necessary to provide a 1n'3y''-, '1s104 block and means for securing 'the same 1n position. This is shown best 1n Figs. 3 and lili 6, where' the key tile 20 is shoiivnvashaving a central channel 22, the channel being pro-` vided with laterally disposed rectangular grooves 21. 'llhe opening of the channel 22, as sexen best in Fig. 3, is suciently wide to pass thehead of the rib 23 which is formed on the plate 24E. The plate 24: is a special plate added to the backing for the tile in ythe position provided for the key tile. rlhe ground of the ribs 23 is so 'reduced as to pass freely between the edges of the channels 11 of the tiles 19, and in this manner avoid interfering with the threading of the 4tiles 19 upon the rib 15 of the strip 18.' 'lhe arrangement of the plate, 24 is illustrated in Fig. 1, where it will be noted the finishing course of tiles 19 has been moved from the v left of the said ligure to the right of the said figure, to form the course the first of -the tiles so introduced being indicated by lthe letter a and as disposed in the cornerof the tile structure. rlhe key tiles are each v provided with latch springs 25. 'Each of 20 is thus forced upon the rib 23 the springs 25 yield to permit th'avoidance by the heads 26 of the rib 23. ltwillbe seen that' starting from any given pointand ending against a side wall, as the corner of a room, either the corner of thefloor with the side wall, or of two side walls, the nishing course of the tile structure is thus laid and momes lnally secured by a tile. llt willy also be noted that when the tiles 10, 19, 20 have been thus mounted upon the backing 14C, 18 and 2511 the structure is rigidly, permanently and neatly held in position.

As seen in Fig. 5 of drawings, the ribs 15, 15 are projected at one end of the plates 14 to form the overhanging sections 27. To accommodate these overhanging sections, the ribs are removed from the matching edge of the adjacent plate 14 to leave the tongue sections 28. rlhe Voverhanging secn tions 27 of the ribs 15 on the one plate rcst above the tongue' sections 28 rand register withfthe ribs 15 on the adjacent plate l-l..

ln this manner the passage of the tiles 10 from one to another of the plates 14: is ef fected without jam or jar.

llilaving thus described my invention, l claim as new and'desire to secure by Letters Patent:

ln a tile structure having a backing provided with ribs, the edges whereof. overhang, and tiles having undercut grooves to register with said ribs to slide longitudinally thereon; a key tile having a groove at the back, said grooveJ being as wide as said ribs, and the sides of said groove being recessed; and a plurality of resilient members mounted in said recesses to engage one of said ribs after the tile has been forced thereover. l

ln testimony whereof l have signed my manie to this specioation in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' FERDINAND THOMAS.

Witnesses: Riemen Ennis Someren. 

